2. EGGS FROM A HANDKERCHIEF
1st Method. In this method an egg is suspended by a thread to the middle of one side of a handkerchief (Fig. 3). A borrowed hat is placed on the table, and the handkerchief is taken by the corners AB and stretched out over the hat; then, under pretense of turning back the sleeves, the handkerchief is laid down, the egg going into the hat and the rest falling on the table in front. The corners CD are then seized, and the handkerchief is again held up and stretched out; thus both sides have been shown. Once more it is laid down, this time for the sleeves to be pulled down again. The corners AB are again taken, and when the handkerchief is stretched out the egg is again brought behind it.
The handkerchief is now folded over the egg by taking AB in one hand and CD in the other. The opening of AB being held just over the hat and the corners CD being raised, the egg rolls out visibly into the hat. The handkerchief is again spread out by the corners AB and lifted by CD as before, and the process begins anew. Finally the thread is broken, the single egg is palmed, and the supposed contents of the hat thrown to the audience, who, preparing for an avalanche of eggs, are surprised when nothing at all comes out.
2d Method. The trick is a good one, although rather well known. The improved method which follows puts a new complexion on it. In this case the handkerchief is a double one, with the edges sewn together all round except for about six inches in the middle of the side AB (Fig. 4). The egg is attached to the middle of this opening by a thread that does not reach quite halfway down. To begin with, the handkerchief is shown freely on both sides, crumpled up, and tossed in the air; then it is folded, the corners AB and CD together as before, and the egg is allowed to drop into the hat. Both sides are then shown as before, but the handkerchief is lifted by the corner A only; the other three corners hang down and the egg rests in the folds behind B, where the hand takes it and palms it in seizing the corner B. It is shown on both sides, well away from the hat; in folding it the egg is allowed to drop from the palm, and the production is made again. The action is continued as long as desired.
3d Method. A further improvement is the loading of a number of eggs into the hat before beginning the production from the handkerchief. For methods of loading, reference should be made to Chapter XV on hat loads.
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